We had to drop the 2nd Semi against Richmond in 82.
After Polkinghorne got Wayne Johnston rubbed out for 2 weeks in the Qualifying Final we had to get to the GF via the Prelim so that the Dominator could play.
How they managed to overlook Johnno for the Norm Smith that day amazes me still.

Reasons to hate Hawthorn include but are not limited too:
Kennett
Clarkson
Polkinghorne

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We're getting closer to 17

You're not suggesting we tanked in the 2nd Semi are you 16 flags?

Well, it all worked out for the best anyway...

Although the decision to award the Norm Smith to Rioli was a @#$%&! joke. I've got nothing against giving it to a player from the losing team in a close game (eg. Ablett in '89, Judd in '05....not sure about Buckley in '02 though...), but Rioli wasn't even the Tigers best player (that would have been the Flea, or maybe Raines), let alone best on ground! His opponent was Hunter too, who fought back from being KOed by Jess to be one of our best players. Rioli did a few magical things before quarter time (when Hunter was off and his opponent was Klomp), and he had a good battle with Hunter, but he faded right out of the game after half time. Fitzpatrick was the most important player on the ground that day at CHF for mine. Fantastic leadership. Johnno a close 2nd best .

Actually, both Fitzy & Johnno were very unlucky never to win a Norm Smith...Fitzy could easily have won it in '81 (no disrespect to the Flying Doormat!) and '82, and Johnno couldn't have been far off in '79, '82 & '87.

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I know it wasn't us, but surely the greatest pinch of all was Fitzroy in 1916.

Finished bottom of the ladder after the home and away season, and went on to win the flag.

Due to WW1, there were only 4 teams that year, and teams only played 12 games. Carlton finished top with 10 wins, Collingwood second with 6.5 wins, Richmond 3rd with 5 wins, Fitzroy 4th (and last) with 2.5 wins out of 12 games.

Fitzroy beat Collingwood in the 1st semi by 6 points, and then Carlton in the 'final' by 21 points. Being minor Premier, Carlton was able to challenge, but was beaten by 29 points in the GF.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

Spot on Sueboy. In fact, in the 3rd quarter of the '82 GF, when the game was won and lost, Rioli had a grand total of, you guessed it, zero possessions.

Jonno was BOG in '79 and '82, and Fitzy was clearly BOG in '81. Jonno could have won it in '87 as well, although I don't think it was so clear cut. Rhys was a very deserving winner.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

That stat about Rioli doesn't surprise me Siegfried. I've watched that game many times over the years, and I cannot work out how they picked Rioli as BOG (unless it was for....ahem...er, 'political' reasons...)

I suppose it had to be Harmes in '79, not just because of 'that' tap, but the game did change when he moved into the centre...but Johnno was pretty mighty in that game too. In '81, Fitzy was dominate in the ruck but maybe he lost points because he had Stuart Atkin as an opponent (with Collingwood's #1 ruckman & captain Peter Moore restricted to the goal square by injury), while Doull was magnificant on Craig Davis. Fitzy or Johnno should have won it in '82, and Rhys was always going to get it in '87 for his job on Dermie..although, I must admit, Rhys did get quite a bit of help from his teammates, plus the absence of Dunstall upset Hawthorn's structure, and Dermie made some uncharacterisitc mistakes on the day..but, having said that, no doubt that Rhys did the job on the opposition's danger man, and was a worthy winner (...but I reckon Johnno was a bit unlucky again....how good was it when he cleaned up Dipper?!)

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Fair comments on the great players in our Premiership wins.
Johnston was incredible - absolutely turned it on in the big games.
I think he should have won the Norm Smith in 79 and 82.
Fitzpatrick was a true leader on the field and was close to best in both 81 & 82 but I am happy with Doull winning in 81.
I remember a guy outside the G after the game yelling "Bruce Doull is a machine" over and over at the top of his voice. Anyone on TC want to own up to that?
In 87 you have to give it to Rhys Jones - agreeing he had help from other backs. It was the way he beat Dermie. Brereton should have been their star player but gave them nothing. He was totally rattled. When he got near the ball he was looking for Rhys.

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We're getting closer to 17

it was Tuck that Dom cleaned up in 87 wasn't it (not dipper?)

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

No, it was Dipper. Harry cleaned up Tuck.

I have a vivid memory of tuck bleeding into his beard

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

Sounds like a Moish-ism to me...although no idea if he visits these pages.

_________________
Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

You have to think 1945 was one.
Near the bottom of the ladder, then winning just enough games to get into the four and becoming the only team to win it from fourth place.

1947 One point thriller.
Essendon*'s bad kicking kept us in the game. Fred Stafford's snap put us in front with seconds remaining, Carlton 13.8.86 defeated Ess. 11.19.85.

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CFC. EST. JULY 1864: PREMIERS. 1869 1871 1873 1874 1875 1877 1887 1906 1907 1908 1914 1915 1938 1945 1947 1968 1970 1972 1979 1981 1982 1987 1995

Perhaps 1968 when Essendon* kicked more goals than we did.

Obviously we had a lot more scoring shots to counter that.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

For me, 1972 was the one. We were always one of the 2 best in 68 and 70. In fact in 68, it was really considered that our time had come.

!970, Collingwood was the favourite, but we were a close second. It only seems like a steal now, because we were so out of it at half-time.

But in 72, we were considered inferior to Richmond, it was our first post-Barassi year so Nick was still an unknown quantity as Captain-Coach, and then they smashed us in the 2nd Semi-Final replay.

We caught them completely unawares with Nick's genius attacking game plan - which was really hitherto completely unseen. Literally, because it was a GF record score. part of the genius that really caught Richmond out was Percy Jones rucking the whole day. And though most say that Walls was best on ground, it could easily have gone to Perce.

Ironically, they turned the tables on us in 73, with CHEATING TACTICS - ie, illegally smash the champions out of the game (Nicholls, Southby, Walls, McKay, Keogh), which [REDACTED] us up psychologically for about 5 years (but that's another story)!!!!

Big Nick always said it was the loss of Armstrong and Keogh in 1973 that cost us dearly......plus: I recall the Dominator going off very early in the game.

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Warby,
I'd check that one mate. The Dominator was only 15 at the 73 GF. Did he go off early after the Sun Kick competition?

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We're getting closer to 17

Yep....you're right of course....it's amazing how a few Crownies can distort your memory......yeah....reckon the game I could see Dom running off injured was the 1980 Qualifying Final at Waverley vs Richmond......which we lost.

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

I'm sure you're right.
I've wiped the details of the 1980 finals from my memory.
Out in straight sets after bad losses to Richmond & Collingwood.
Enjoy your Crownies.

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We're getting closer to 17

1988 qualifying v hawthorn, pissed down all day, scores level at 3/4 time, lost by a few, dom injured.

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

Hey kk.....our memories are of an earlier game in the 1980 Finals when he ran off with a corky in the first or second qtr......and came back onto the ground; but we got walloped anyway.

I remember looking down to the boundary as he limped off.....and I said to my Wife...."We're stuffed here".....he was the archetypal Finals matchwinner......and he was not up to it.

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No ones listening till you make a mistake.

In his book, Dom admits to pulling an all nighter out on the gas with Val Perovic and Michael Young before the game...

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.